Project Description
3 TO 5 YEAR OLD DANCE EXPLORATION
Our 3-5 year old classes integrate a balance between focus, freedom, and fun that is paramount to learning at this state of their development. The children are ready to move forward with more difficult physical coordinations, but continuing to foster their creative minds is crucial at this age. We explore improvised movement based on concepts such as levels and direction in space, and quality and shape of movement. We use simple movement building blocks to learn dance steps from genres such as ballet, contemporary, jazz, hip-hop, and tap. Movements are inspired and connected to everything from animals and food, to modes of transportation and toys supported by music and fun props. Students are always nurtured in a supportive manner to learn, explore, and develop skills to the best of their ability aiding them in all future endeavors dance and otherwise.
The primary focus of the Joy of Dance classes is movement and cognitive skills rather than to learn English. However, the classes support and encourage the language needs of our bilingual students. Children learn vocabulary, pronunciation, and grammar consistent with the communication needs of the class.
WHAT SKILLS WILL MY CHILD LEARN?
Creative Skills: Use of Imagination and Movement Creation
Physical Skills: Coordination, Balance, Spacial Awareness, and Body Awareness
Cognitive Skills: perception, memory, judgment, and reasoning
Language Skills: Vocabulary, Pronunciation, Grammar
Personal Skills: Patience, Kindness, Safety, Independence, and Manners
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE DANCE FORMS INCORPORATED?
Creative Movement: Imaginative improvisational movement using imitation and inspiration from real life
Ballet: Vertically anatomically aligned movements with grace and form.
Modern/Contemporary: A further development of the balletic form with more freedom of invention and a greater focus on weight, momentum, swing, use of levels and the floor with curving and twisting of the spine.
Jazz/Hip-Hop: Integrating style and expanding the use of dynamics and weight to ballet/modern/contemporary aspects
Tap/Step: Rhythmic use of feet and hands
Gymnastics/Somersault: Acrobatic coordination such as rolling, hanging, etc
WHAT OTHER ARTISTIC ASPECTS ARE INCORPORATED?
Music: Classical, Folk, Rock, Hip-Hop, Jazz, and more. Appreciation of different genres, how it can be used with movement or made with the body, and how it is structured.
Props: Scarves, Maracas, Wands, Parachute etc. Used more with the little ones and less as they age. Props add a fun element that also adds an extension to our bodies and helps draw focus when needed
Visuals: pictures and books. Coordinated with the subject of the movement lessons to reinforce English vocabulary.
Language: As a class for bilingual students, English vocabulary is used for movements instead of french ballet terms until they have the ability to differentiate.
